First Team

BARONE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Fiorentina Director General Joe Barone condemns discriminatory comments against Italian-Americans.

16 May 2021

Fiorentina Director General Joe Barone speaks out against discriminatory comments against Italian-Americans ahead of Fiorentina v Napoli:

“La Gazzetta dello Sport has disrespected, humiliated and dishonoured all Italian Americans by using the classic stereotype that we’ve spent all our lives fighting in the United States. We’re hugely proud of being Italian and that we’ve brought that Italian culture with us to the United States ever since the 1800s. There are over 18 million Italian Americans in the United States. Rocco Commisso worked his way up from nothing, starting out in the South of Italy. I’m proud to be Sicilian, just as Rocco is proud to be Calabrese. We’ve brought our Italian identity to the United States. You have to consider all the Italian Americans that watch Serie A in the United States, plus Rocco Commisso and Fiorentina have done important work in terms of the TV rights package. So humiliating us Italian Americans here in Italy, the country where we were born and of which we are proud, is not acceptable. As Italian Americans that went to America from Italy and from the South, we want to be respected.”

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